town of Omelas appears to attain perfection, with its residents in a perpetual state of glee, much unlike the drab landscape we live in today. Through this small town, Ursula Le Guin forms a narrative on a society that has progressed far beyond the present. The apparent perfection of Omelas, as well as its hidden fatal flaw, allows Le Guin to shock the reader with a sudden revelation, which puts into question the possibility of a perfect utopia. In Le Guin’s short story, The Ones who Walk Away from
1973 short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” describes a peculiar city where the inhabitants’ prosperity depends entirely upon the endless suffering of a single child, locked away in a cellar. The townspeople ignore the child’s pleas for release because they have learned that his salvation will destroy the utopian society where they live. Many modern societies have similar function to the ones express in the story is not stringently structured as what is seen in Omelas. A child is not literally
a deeper moral. Taken literal, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” might seem strange with little or no plot, leaving the reader confused about its conclusion. However, this perception leaves room for analysis. With an essential message relating to society’s current attitude, her story conveys the nature of humanity. Through the use of symbolism, LeGuin explores the injustices of society. LeGuin opens “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by defining Omelas as the Festival of Summer, writing that